


Hero for a Day

by ThePurpleShogun



Category: Original Work
Genre: Acts of Kindness, Adventure & Romance, Alien Biology, Alien Character(s), Alien Cultural Differences, Alien Flora & Fauna, Alien Mythology/Religion, Alien Planet, Alien Rituals, Alien/Human Relationships, Aliens, Animal Ears, Animal Traits, Animalistic, Asian Character(s), BAMFs, Baptism, Beauty and the Beast Elements, Candy, Candy Canes, Closeted Character, Cotton Candy (Food), Cultural References, Culture Shock, Cute, Demons, Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Romance, Fairies, Fairy Tale Elements, Falling In Love, Fictional Religion & Theology, First Love, Fluff and Humor, Food, Food Fight, Food Metaphors, Forbidden Love, Forgiveness, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Funny, Gay Male Character, Gods, Good and Evil, Happy, Heroism, Holy Water, Home, Interspecies Romance, Japanese Character(s), Japanese Culture, Japanese Mythology & Folklore, Jewelry, Love, Love Confessions, Love at First Sight, M/M, Major Original Character(s), Male Homosexuality, Monsters, Moral Lessons, New Planets, Nobility, Non-Human Genitalia, Origami, Original Character(s), Original Character-centric, Original Fiction, Original Mythology, Original Universe, Originally Posted on deviantART, POV Original Character, Peace, Rating May Change, Rebirth, Rescue, Romantic Fluff, Romantic Friendship, Royalty, Sacrifice, Samurai, Saving the World, Slow Romance, Spiritual, Swords, Swords & Sorcery, Symbolism, Tags May Change, Talking Animals, True Love, Villains to Heroes, Warnings May Change, Weapons, Worldbuilding, Xenophilia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-17 19:40:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29477097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThePurpleShogun/pseuds/ThePurpleShogun
Summary: "Don't judge others by what they have done, judge them by what they do."Original work by yours truly, also posted on Deviantart. Enjoy.
Relationships: Original Male Character/Original Male Character
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter a world whose name does not fit its face, and enter a demonic warlord that stands out like a fly in milk in it...

How quaint it is, that this is supposed to be a land where only the mightiest of warriors dwell. As far as the Shogun is concerned, this world is like Lucky Charms and My Little Pony had one big, unrealistically and disgustingly cute baby. The sky is a perfect, happy, powder blue. There is a double rainbow in the sky at all times and it finally irritated him so much he followed it and robbed all the gold in the pot at the end. The trees are cotton candy. The rivers are root beer. There is literally not a blade of grass that is not green, and every direction he looks, there is a wildflower patch. 

...He scratches his great, proud, horned head. He checks his map again. And much to his bafflement, this IS the right place. There's even a perfectly painted, stout little sign here to prove it. 

'YOU ARE NOW ENTERING ASSASSIN'S VALLEY. WE'RE GONNA BE GREAT FRIENDS, PAL!!!!' 

He took careful note of the smiley faces and peace signs and bunnies and whatnot drawn all over the sign. And people thought HE was bipolar. The Shogun swears he would die laughing if he weren't so confused. But because his map is correct, and because he's embarrassingly desperate to dispose of his invincible cockroach of a Samurai problem, he simply holds fast to his dignity and enters the valley. 

He suddenly wonders if he should be afraid. But he glances to his left once more and sees the countless butterflies and bees that float from flower to flower, and he really makes his decision once he sees the winged unicorn pony with the rainbow mane prancing along in the field. Perhaps this overly cutesy and sickeningly sweet world will rot his formidable, curved, gleaming, Oriental fangs. Maybe he will die in a freak glitter bomb accident and be given a Viking's funeral where the inhabitants here launch a marshmallow on the end of a stick out of a bow to set his marzipan canoe on fire. Maybe his heart will even be filled with so much love and kindness it will end up at a toxic level and destroy him inside out like stage four cancer. Whatever the case, they are notions so naive and foolish he can't even believe he thought of them. The Shogun suddenly wonders, for a split second, what the people here would think of HIS homeland. His big ol' poison green lips curl up into a particularly malicious grin. Heh… they wouldn't last half a second. The Shogun, then, boldly continues on his way. He's visited a thousand worlds and each cower before his might. 

...This one will be no different. 

He makes his way over a small bridge made of candy canes. He takes note that the gems that peek up out of the ground like diamonds in a mine are actually just rock candy. That fact actually made him sulk. He could have left this place a richer man than he already was. But he makes a mental note to keep that to himself. The last thing he wants is for the Mayor of Killer Candyland here to lecture him on the dangers of greed. He is the King of Earth and several planets. He has claimed all their riches. All the pitiable nations he has conquered erect statues in his likeness on the daily. Getting educated on being a selfish, hoarding swine now would just be like putting Banana Boat sunscreen on AFTER a third degree burn. And a particularly bad one, at that. 

But as he makes his way past two painfully kawaii Koma Inu puppy statues that sit on either side of a Torii Gate made of pretzels, the Shogun begins to stroke his ragged, fiery red goatee, deep in thought. He plucks a chunk of salt off the gate to chew on as well while he marvels at the absurdity of this sunshiney world. The depth of these people's delusion is awe inspiring. He suddenly wishes he brought a camera. The boys back home will never believe him, just like he still doesn't believe this is supposed to be a valley crawling with the Universe's most mysterious, skilled, and dangerous hitmen. Maybe that lady in the bazaar back on Earth was lying. Ooo… if she did… 

The Shogun stops in his tracks, though. The village is now in sight. And it NAUSEATES the frick out of him. Every home, every building, is in some outrageously adorable shape. Mushrooms. Chinese take out boxes. Hell, there's even a place shaped like a rubber duck. He nearly gags when he sees the little community of homes that clearly and shamelessly ripped off Lucky Charms. He gets this overwhelming feeling that he should probably turn back. He'll surely die of cuteness and sweetness and niceness if he goes through with his plan. 

But then, he remembers the Samurai. The only fool in the world that dared step forth to oppose him in all his glory and might… and almost WON. For thirty years the fool has run amok in his Kingdoms in search of a means to vanquish him. For thirty years, the Shogun had come up with every practical, convoluted, brilliant, and outlandish scheme out there to smite the Samurai and his sword. For thirty years, it has been an endless stalemate. And quite frankly, even the most clever of demon warlords eventually run out of ideas. And as big of a blow to his pride as it is, this 'Assassin's Valley' that welcomes people in like Mickey Mouse is his last hope. 

...It makes his skin crawl. But he pushes on. His fearsome black and green armor clinks ominously as he enters the cutesy village. His saber-like, ebony claws clutch the hilt of his deadly katana. He holds his horned helmet covered head high, and his feral eyes gleam with the kind of ferocity that can kill a king cobra with a single glance. The cotton candy trees seem to stand up taller and straighter to get a better look as he passes by. The wildflower patches part like the Red Sea as he boldly moves along. He's dressed to kill quite literally. And he walks with such dignity and grace and confident poise no one can doubt he is the King of a million worlds. Of course, the Shogun is strutting his stuff exceptionally well until he abruptly trips over something that shrieked in the perfect key of G, and finds himself hollering and flailing his arms as he attempts in vain to keep himself from falling face first into the jelly bean gravel road. 

Powerful muscle coils in his upper arms like a crouching tiger as he pushes himself up, and he sees his spiky, horned helmet had come tumbling off his already horned, dark head. His pierced, bat-like ears flatten against his head irritably as his flaming red, flame shaped eyebrows furrow. He seizes his nightmarish helm with a quick and temperamental swipe, slamming it back on top of his head… but a frickin' rainbow of jelly beans come pouring out on top of his head like a psychedelic waterfall. He bares his fangs and growls low in his throat like a particularly pissed off and overpowered bear. But, miffed as he is, he takes a jelly bean as bright green as his face and pops it into his mouth, and discovers it is margarita flavored, much to his amusement. 

But the question still remained… what in the Hell DARED to trip him up?! His piercing crimson eyes scanned the sugary ground furiously. But when he found the insolent culprits, he only managed to utter a very small and incredibly intelligent 'uh'. 

He is the ruler of a thousand worlds. He is a demon god more ancient than Time itself. Needless to say, the Shogun had seen a lot of bizarre critters in his eons of living. But never before in his life had he ever seen aliens as bizarre as this. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladies and germs, prepare for the food fight of the ages... an intergalactic warlord vs. a bunch of Fairies!

His bright red nostrils fill with a cocktail of odors. Ramune. Candy corn. Wintergreen. Popcorn. Calamari. Walnut. Enchilada. Peppermint. Ube. Cotton candy. Tutti frutti. Coffee. And the stench is so strong he goes cross eyed just when he realizes that these aliens -these nude little pinky-sized Fairy aliens- are the ones that are smelling up the place. Their very skin reeks of the odor of the food item they wear as a charm on their necklaces. He promptly covers his stark white nose. This is a Hell of a lot worse than that one time he got trapped in that Bath and Body Works place in the downtown mall overnight just because he wanted to test out the new manly sanitizer scents without his men seeing him. The Shogun curses under his breath fit to make a sailor blush. He swears sometimes he still gets a particularly strong whiff of petunia when he draws his bowstring back…

But his mood, sour as it always is, gets even worse. He glances at the map the mystic in the bazaar gave him. He looks back to the Fairies. He fights the urge to use the damn thing as a fly swatter. He's been tricked. There is no way in Hell that these 'food Fairies', or whatever they are, are cold blooded, hardcore assassins like the mystic lady described. He grits his teeth wrathfully and drums his fingers on the hilt of his katana. He suddenly wonders if Monday or Tuesday is a better day to schedule an execution on…

"...Y…you… destroyed our statue!!!" An excruciatingly high pitched voice squeaked. "That was for the festival! It's ruined!!!" 

The Dark Shogun sees it is the impudent peppermint Fairy that has foolishly decided to raise her voice at him. He chuckles maliciously. 

"You better fix it!" The tutti frutti Fairy demands petulantly, pointing her wee little finger at him. "The festival is tomo- AH!!!" 

The tutti frutti Fairy screams bloody murder when the Shogun's obsidian claws seize her. She struggles wildly in his powerful grasp. But the demon only cackles so loud it transcends time and space. The other Fairies begin to make a commotion of their own. 

"Let her go, you big bully!!!" The peppermint Fairy shrieks, and grabs hold of his pointer finger. "C'mon girls, grab his claws!!!" 

Again, his wicked cackle pierced the tranquil silence of the afternoon. The wintergreen Fairy takes a hold of his middle finger. The candy corn Fairy grabs his ring finger. The ube Fairy seizes his pinky, and the walnut Fairy latches on to his thumb. What a pathetic attempt these pitiable, sparkly flies make to pry his fingers off their friend. He effortlessly swats the brave, scarcely clad girls away with his map, and grins like the Cheshire Cat. 

"All of you insolent, measly mosquitos that dare rise up against the almighty Shogun!!!!" He bellows in a voice like thunder. "Lighten down your arms, or I'll rip hers off!!!" 

They stare at him, wide eyed and dumbfounded. They are motionless with terror. The Shogun feels his chest swell with pride. He knows that look all too well. He's emerged victorious from far too many battles to NOT know it. And he knows just how to punish this arrogant insect. He sucks in a deep breath, igniting a fire deep within his chest. He's never been fond of cooked fruit, but he is willing to see if his taste buds have changed in the past couple of years. 

But before he can open his mouth to char the Fairy, he finds himself SCREAMING. And he rears back like a horse on the battlefield, slamming his hands over his overly sensitive schnozz. On one hand, it is a useful skill as a battle hardened warrior to be able to smell like a frickin' canine. But on the other hand, his sense of smell is so sensitive that powerful odors such as this bring him to his knees. He wails in rage and agony. The damn coffee Fairy had clapped her hands and sent a cloud of ground up coffee beans flying up his nostrils!!!! He rubs his nose and sneezes several times. He attempts to regain his focus and strike back against his miniscule foes, but it's too late. 

"Get him while he's down, girls!!!!" He hears the peppermint Fairy command. And before he can even grab his katana, the Fairies bombard him relentlessly. 

He is pelted with popcorn kernel bullets. He is whipped with raw squid tentacles. He cries out in agony when purple sweet potatoes are dropped on his clawed toes like atomic bombs. Chile powder is tossed into his eyes like firefighters douse wildfires with fire retardant. He suddenly realizes to a random passerby, this attack must look like a ridiculously comical baking show remix of Godzilla. White hot wrath blooms in his chest. These Fairies, these teenie weenie little girls, are making a complete fool out of him!!! In an attempt to save his ego, the Shogun tries to set these girls ablaze once more, but the ramune Fairy practically sends a tsunami of soda crashing down on his inner flame, and he is suddenly gagged S&M style with one of the marbles that seals the soda bottle. In fact, his hands are suddenly bound behind his back with calamari. And his eyes feel like hellfire!

He begins to thrash like a lion caught in a hunter's net. His ass is getting KICKED. He's fought legions of only the deadliest of warriors. He's taken on armies of gods. He has single handedly slain the most dangerous abominations in the Universe blindfolded with one hand tied behind his back. He refuses to lose to an enemy like this. He'll be kicked out of his own dojo for sure! He'll be the laughing stock of the entire galaxy! And worse… he'll be forced to commit seppuku if he loses in battle. Not even a Ronin could live with knowing he had lost so shamefully. But before he can make his next move, the bellowing drone of a war horn blares over all the commotion he and the Fairies are making, and the entire world falls silent. 

The Fairies cease fire. The Shogun takes the opportunity to catch his breath… although that is quite difficult, being gagged with a soda marble and all. Tears cascade from his burning, bloodshot eyes. The calamari shackles dig into his wrist and ankles. His horns and ears lower. His cheeks burn. He is HUMILIATED. How pathetic he must look, like a worthless, beaten, hog-tied prisoner!!! But… well… at least he smells like a five star restaurant… he supposes.

He finds himself being hauled up onto his knees. He hears his voice before he even sees him.

"Stop." 

It is a voice like water running over stones in a river. He does not sound irate. Nor does he sound particularly bored with giving commands. The Shogun hears the familiar click of wooden sandals against the candied earth. He is suddenly brought back to his homeland. A strange sense of tranquility comes crashing over him like a tidal wave, and for once, it isn't the kind that comes with near death situations. 

The newcomer comes around front. The first thing the Shogun notices is how white his robe is… like snow lit up by a midwinter's full moon. He blinks his watering crimson eyes. His obsidian armor clinks as he tilts his head back, and he finds himself looking into eyes as deep and as dark as a cavern. They glitter like light reflects off a windy sea, and their intensity rivals his own. But the Shogun doesn't cower, or avert his gaze. He may be a demon kneeling before an angel, but he refuses to surrender to one. 

The mighty warlord wobbles to his feet. He snorts irritably, and smoke spews from his nostrils. He towers over the stranger. He growls threateningly, and he seizes the hilt of his sword in a grip like steel. But before he can open his mouth, the Fairy girls blabber in unison about what transpired almost incoherently. 

"Emperor Jet! He destroyed the statue!" The Peppermint Fairy blurted.

"The festival is ruined!" The ube Fairy added.

"RUINED!!!!" The walnut Fairy hollered. 

"And he crushed my wings!!!" The tutti frutti Fairy wails, rubbing her poor, aching, crinkled wings. 

"What are we going to do now, Your Highness?!" The peppermint Fairy howls. "The festival is tomorrow!!! We can't have a festival without a statue! We-"

"Silence, friend." His voice is so quiet and serene, and yet it possesses the kind of power that makes even the most battle hardened of soldiers tremble. "I saw what happened." He inspects the Dark Shogun from the tip of his horned head to the tip of his clawed toes. "And you chose the wrong person to pick a fight with, ladies."

The young, black haired Emperor opens the lapel of his pure white robe to retrieve something. But the Fairies are wide eyed with shock and disbelief. They soon begin rambling again, and are getting red in the face.

"Pick a fight?! He smashed our statue to smithereens!" The peppermint Fairy hollered angrily. 

"He crushed my wings!" The tutti frutti Fairy bawls, wiping her mascara tinted tears. 

"We aren't the bad guy here, Your Highness." The peppermint Fairy says as-the-matter-of-factly. "He-"

"He merely tripped over the statue, little friend." Emperor Jet growled, looking over his shoulder to give the peppermint Fairy a stern look. "He is innocent and meant no harm. YOU, ladies, provoked him. Now mind your tongue, before you say something else you will regret." 

The peppermint Fairy's eyes gleam with stunned tears. "But Emperor Jet-!"

The young, black haired Emperor only gives her a hand signal to shut up. And, enraged though she is, the peppermint Fairy falls silent. But her eyes glint like the edge of a dagger in a dark alleyway. She can at least give the Shogun a bad look! 

Emperor Jet sighs heavily, regaining his composure, and then he bows slightly. "I humbly apologize for my friend's harshness and rudeness. It is only because they have worked many long and tedious hours on the statue for the festival tomorrow. Please forgive them." 

FORGIVE THEM?! The Shogun nearly erupts. Those impertinent insects drop purple yams on his toes, fling chile powder into his eyes, and assault him with popcorn kernels and their leader wants him to find it within himself to FORGIVE these worthless specks?! Bah!!! Such foolishness!!! The Shogun nearly screams, but then remembers he can't because the damn soda marble ball gag is still in his mouth. He merely glowers at the twelve little Fairies, and apparently he's given them quite the death glare because they shrink a tad beneath his feral gaze. 

But the Shogun is distracted from his murderous thoughts when the Emperor reveals what he took from out of his robe. The dark warlord figured it would be a small knife so that the young Emperor could cut his bonds, but he raises a flaming red eyebrow in bafflement when he sees that Emperor Jet is holding teeny tiny items out to him in each palm. He quickly realizes that in one hand, the tiny trinkets are in the shapes of the animals on the Chinese Zodiac. In the other, the figures are in the shape of the signs in the Greek Zodiac. And to the Shogun's utter astonishment, The Rabbit and Sagittarius are GLOWING. 

He hums in confusion, slightly alarmed. Those are HIS star signs. Sagittarius the Archer, and an Earth Rabbit. What in the Hell is this?! What is this Emperor Jet fool trying to prove?! 

But all eyes are on him now, and they all look just as flabbergasted as he does. The Emperor quickly pockets the figurines again, and draws out a knife, cutting the Shogun free. 

The warlord rubs the saliva off his bright red lips, and adjusts his jaw. Everything he's been wanting to bitch about is about to come spewing out of his mouth, but the Emperor speaks before he can scar everyone in hearing distances' minds and eardrums. 

"...Please, tell me your name." 

Name? NAME?! Oh, the Shogun was going to tell him his name alright, and much, MUCH more!!! The warlord snorts once more irately, and practically spits his name at the young Emperor. 

"WARU!!!!" He hollers. "It's. Waru. The Dark Shogun. The Black Warlord. The Scourge of the Cosmos. The Koma Inu, King of the Oni." He pauses to catch his breath properly now that the ball gag is out of his mouth. "And what is the meaning of this hocus pocus foolishness you pulled out of your robe?!" 

The Emperor's onyx eyes lock on his, piercing like an eagle's, but as gentle as a fawn's. The Shogun suddenly feels him take his claws into his hand, and the young ruler places the glowing Rabbit and Sagittarius figurines in his panther black palm, and then pushes his hand closed again. But his pale hands still grasp the Shogun's, and it is a hold as powerful as it is delicate. 

"...It means we no longer need to build statues and hold a festival each year." He glances at the Fairies, who don't even realize they are holding their breath. "The prophecy said one with these star signs would come and make the jade figurines glow. We have been waiting a long time for you, Waru." 

The peppermint Fairy shakes her head, horrified. "Emperor Jet, this is impossible… he can't be-" 

"But he IS." The Emperor says firmly, turning his attention to the peppermint Fairy. "He is the one, and we cannot afford another night of mindless destruction. I'd suggest you change your attitude, my friend." He then looks back at the Shogun, gazing deep into his Blood Moon eyes. "Because our savior has finally arrived." 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Shogun doesn't just look into any old water, friends. It's IMPORTANT water. Just like in Wreck-It-Ralph 2!!! XD

The Dark Shogun is led to the most radiant zen garden to ever exist in the entire Universe. Of course, all the pebbles are Konpeito sugar candy, and the rocks that stand tall like mini islands are actually hunks of chocolate painted to look like rocks, but quirks aside, this place is a stunning masterpiece. A simplistic but elegant koi pond was built into the direct center of the garden beneath a massive and ancient sakura tree in bloom. Several lanterns were strung up over their heads, whose dim lights reflect off the bright red Torii gate and Koma Inu statues that guard the entrance. O-fuda that hang on the same string as the lanterns clink together in the breeze. Once again, the Shogun feels as if he has been transported back to his homeland on Earth. Only… that unfamiliar but pleasant sense of calm comes over him once more. 

He doesn't know what to make of this new feeling of serenity that has come washing over him like a tidal wave. His dark and muscular chest no longer heaves with gasps of mindless rage. His hands dangle at his sides not clenched in fists of fury, but open and at ease. He no longer feels heavy, either. That unexplainable heavy feeling that comes with thinking only of war and death and conflict that makes his muscles tense, his chest tight, and his thoughts race. He feels so light for once that he feels as if he is going to float away. And it feels… well… this new, bizarre feeling feels… good. And oddly similar to that one time he couldn't stop smiling because he managed to be the early bird for once and purchased a whole case of saké and opium for more than half off the original price at that market in the downtown mall. He suddenly wonders if this should scare him. But it doesn't. And even if this new emotion is something he should fear, the Shogun doesn't think he ever could bring himself to be afraid. He likes this… he doesn't know why, but he does. The Shogun doesn't even notice it, but his ears and horns, previously lowered in anger, are now standing up tall and perky with amusement. He doesn't even realize he is smiling. 

"...You are a most unusual vessel for the soul of the Chosen Hero to dwell in, new friend." Emperor Jet suddenly says, and the Shogun's head snaps back up in attention. "...Perhaps you are not the demon you make yourself out to be." 

The Black Warlord begins to stroke his ginger goatee, deep in thought. He turns a little red in the face, and begins to chew the Konpeito he scooped up faster, and quickly shoves the rest in his pocket. He gives the black haired Emperor a cheeky, fang filled grin. 

The Emperor chuckles, and shakes his head. "Or perhaps you are." Emperor Jet sits down beneath the cherry blossom tree, and gestures for the Shogun to do the same. "But it matters not what you have done. It only matters now what you do. Come and sit, Waru. I shall explain everything. And again, I must apologize for my friend's actions. I hope you will not abandon us because of their disrespect." 

The Shogun takes a seat opposite from the young Emperor. They are separated by the koi pond between them. Many lotuses bloom here, and two koi swim lazily about beneath the still, glassy water. The Shogun sighs heavily, assuming a lotus position to mirror Emperor Jet. "Oh, I'll make a full course meal out of your little friends later, Your Majesty. But there has been a mistake. I came here searching for a team of assassins to smite my enemy. I am no Chosen Hero." The warlord chuckles. "In fact, I am the exact opposite." 

Emperor Jet merely shakes his head. "The jade does not lie, friend. The prophecy tells of a Chosen Hero who was born under the sign of the Earth Rabbit and Sagittarius who would come and deliver us from utter annihilation. It also states that this Chosen One would make the jade glow. There is no mistake. You ARE our savior." 

The Shogun frowns. "...That has to be impossible. I cannot be a Hero. I am the Horned Koma Inu, King of the Oni. Nations cower at the mere mention of my name. Mighty warriors scream for mercy before I even raise my blade to strike them. You have no earthly clue what I have done." 

"I am VERY aware of what you have done and what you are capable of doing." The Emperor replies sharply. "I am not blind to the atrocities you have committed. However, I must also find it within myself to accept the fact that the same demon god that subjugated countless nations and worlds and forces their people to bend to his will is the same person who will rescue us. YOU, Waru, have no earthly clue how I am feeling. I cannot turn a blind eye to your atrocities, and yet I must think of my home and my people."

He suddenly feels a strange feeling in his stomach. The Shogun's mighty head lowers. How odd. Normally he swells up with pride when he hears people speak of his conquests. But now, for some odd reason, he feels an emotion incredibly similar to shame. Maybe it's just something in the air.

"You now possess the jade figurines that identify you as the Chosen. Keep them close." The Emperor continues. "Now let me tell you of our plight and your role in it." Emperor Jet takes a deep breath. He touches the tip of his finger to the pool of water, and makes it ripple.

"Since the birth of this planet, my people have suffered through countless tragedies. During the day, our home is a place of peace." 

The ripples in the water swirl to form the cutesy, colorful candy world the Shogun has become familiar with. The vibrant wildflowers sprout before his eyes. The cotton candy trees grow tall and strong on the rolling hills. Fairies build countless dwellings until it forms a peculiar village. But the vision darkens and sours. The flowers wilt. The candies rot. The Fairies flail and shriek as their homes are demolished and set ablaze as the moon rises high into the night. 

"But when evening falls, the dead rise from the grave and lay siege to my Kingdom." 

The water ripples again, and forms the image of a man who looks a great deal like Emperor Jet. 

"I am the descendent of the god that created this planet. His name was Saburo, and when he discovered the dead were slaying his people and destroying his Kingdom, he fought for many years against the fiends, hoping his efforts would put an end to the mindless onslaught." 

The ancient god begins to swing his blade, and the vision of a graveyard forms. He hacks and slashes at hoards of skeletons with formidable horns and weapons that replace their right hands. 

"But his efforts were in vain. The Draugr kept returning each night. But one day, in this very garden we sit in now, he sat by this pool to meditate, and was visited by a mysterious voice." 

A cherry blossom tree is practically painted in the water. Emperor Saburo sits beneath it, gazing upward. 

"The heavenly voice told the old Emperor these very words: "In order to rid yourself of the evil that plagues your land, you must erect statues and hold a festival until the being born with the sign of the Rabbit and the Archer arrives and makes the jade figurines that represent his zodiac glow. Only then will the evil be vanquished. Only then will you have hope." 

A montage flashes by. Jade figurines are created. Festival after festival is held. Statue after statue is erected. 

"Years passed by. Centuries. Eons. The jade figurines were passed down from Emperor to Emperor, whose duty it was to identify the savior. Night after night a battle was fought. Night after night, a battle was never won on either side." 

The visions suddenly fade away. The Shogun sees nothing but his reflection and Emperor Jet's. 

"But today, our only hope has arrived. And I am humbled to be the Emperor that was fortunate enough to find you…" Emperor Jet looks up from the pond at last, and takes the Shogun's bright green face in his hands. His dark eyes are suddenly pleading, looking deep into the Shogun's wild, fiery eyes to find any glimmer of hope. "I beg of you, help us. It matters not what you've done or who you really are. For a day, at least, be a Hero. Please, Waru. Please." 

The Black Warlord couldn't help but flinch a little at this contact. He's never been touched like this before. His horns and ears are up though, so this must be a good thing. He finds himself sort of nuzzling into the Emperor's touch. Not noticeably, but a little. 

...What is this? What are all these new feelings? And why, after eons of living, does he experience them just now? And why here? He suddenly does feel a little afraid. He wonders if those accursed Fairies threw an extra little something else in the food they assaulted him with. 

...He doesn't know. He'll never know. But what he does know is that after centuries of terrorizing the cosmos, he has grown incredibly tired of only being known as a dark entity to be feared. What indeed would it be like to be the Hero for once? What would it be like, instead of being the creature parents use to scare their children into behaving with, what would it be like to be the Hero of the people's hearts? The very thought makes something in his chest stir. And before he is even aware that his lips are moving, he accepts. 

It earns him the first smile he has ever seen on someone in his formidable presence. It is suddenly very hard to breathe, and something in his chest is thumping as fast and as loud as a war drum on the battlefield. 

...Waru immediately decides this is a good thing. And soon after, he finds himself grinning as well. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Again with that important water, friends. And not just any water. Holy water. And being a demon, Waru is terrified of it. :0

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mature chapter. Kinda. Just beware.

"...Many rituals must be held before the sun goes down in order to ensure your victory, Waru." Emperor Jet explains as he and Waru trek up an ancient staircase built into the side of a mountain. "You have already completed one." The Emperor's dark eyes fall upon the Rabbit and Sagittarius figurines in Waru's pocket. "But now, you must complete the second. I am to baptize you in the Great Onsen… more commonly known as the Birthplace of all Fairies." The Emperor suddenly stops in his tracks, and gestures for Waru to look forward. "And here we are. It didn't take too long to get to the summit now, did it, friend?" 

  


No response. The wind makes Emperor Jet's ebony mane billow like a black flag. It rustles the bushes that surround the spring, and the vibrant petals of the unusual lotuses that float in the bubbling water. The Emperor raises a brow, puzzled. "...Waru?" 

  


He immediately looks down to his right, where the poor warrior had collapsed and submerged his whole horned head beneath the boiling spring, gulping down water like he'd spent forty years traveling through the desert. Emperor Jet rolls his eyes. But the Chosen Hero pushes himself back up again, gasping for air. 

  


"Ugh…" He groaned dramatically, and wiped the water from his mouth. "That… was… the BEST tasting water…" He coughs a little, and then looks up at Emperor Jet. "How in the Hell do you do it everyday, Your Highness?!" 

  


The Emperor merely chuckled. "Because I must. Look at the lotus flowers that bloom here." Waru sweeps his fiery eyes over the sacred scenery, and the bizarre lotuses that bloom here. He has never seen such colors and such shapes before. He instantly thinks they are beautiful. "Everyday, a new Fairy is born from each of these flowers. I must guide them back to the village below. It is one of many of my duties as the Emperor. And please friend, call me Jet." 

  


Waru lets this information sink in. He stands back up, nodding his head. "Sure thing, Jet." He begins to squeeze the water out of his goatee. "Now, would it screw up the ritual if I wore a floatie?"

  


Jet's pitch black eyebrows jump up in surprise. "A FLOATIE?!"

  


Waru gives him a huge, cheesy grin, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "Heh heh… yes… I cannot swim." 

  


Emperor Jet takes a deep, stabilizing breath. "You have many strange quirks for being the Cosmic Scourge, friend. But no, you cannot wear a floatie. I will be holding you anyways." 

  


"Thank the gods." 

  


"Indeed. Now take off your armor, you must be nude in order for the ritual to work. You see, much like the River of Styx, this Onsen is infused with Fairy dust that will make you invinci-" 

  


"Whoa, woah, woah, hold on. Back up there, Jay Jay the Jet Plane." Waru interrupted. 

  


"What?" Jet frowns, a tad puzzled. 

  


Waru chuckles softly, and he adjusts his bat-like ears so he can hear Jet better. "Eheheheh. I uh… think I misheard you there Jet. I have to go in there in my birthday suit?" 

  


The young Emperor nods firmly. "Yes." 

  


The Chosen Hero's poison green face blanches, turning a light shade of lime. His jaw and hands begin to tremble. But he quickly gets a grip and grins mischievously. "...You just want to see me naked, don't you?" 

  


The Emperor's eyes widen in astonishment. He too begins to quiver, appalled. "Of course not!" He turns as red as a tomato. "I cannot… this place is a sacred… I… I am a man! YOU are a man! I…!" 

  


"Relax rice queen, I was kidding." 

  


Jet gets even redder. How that is possible, Waru will never know. 

  


"RICE QUEEN?! I… I'm not…!" 

  


Waru rolls his eyes. "Calm down Jet-ski, we're burning daylight. Let's just get this over with…" He removes his helmet. A curly Koma Inu mane the color of a wildfire tumbles down and cascades over his powerful black shoulders. And then, soon after, he gets started with the rest of his ensemble.

  


...But Jet is still frozen where he stands. He turns away to give Waru privacy, but finds himself occasionally peeking through the wee gaps of his fingers. He blushes though, and mentally scolds himself each time it happens. He is NOT a rice queen. He is a god whose love knows no bounds, but he is also a god who is to be celibate and single. Such corrupt feelings belong only to demons and mortals. Perhaps Waru, being the wicked trickster he is, is casting a spell over him to make him feel such… unholy feelings. Jet doesn't doubt it. Incubus exist for only that one reason, after all. But he won't fall for it. He can't. 

  


...So why does he? He sees the obsidian shoulder guards come off. He watches as Waru pulls the strings to remove his chest plate. His flesh is blacker than Jet's hair and he is RIPPED. Lean and toned muscle ripples in his tattooed arms. He is barrel chested, his left nipple is pierced, and his belly is nothing but abs. The young Emperor squeezes his eyes shut yet again. He is a benevolent god. Waru is a demon who has devastated countless civilizations across the galaxy. But more importantly, he is a man. It simply wouldn't work. What would his people think of him? His ancestors? The Emperor sighs, somewhat distraught. He keeps reminding himself Waru will only be here for one day, and then his people will be saved and the Shogun will go on his merry way. It is a thought that Jet uses to comfort himself with. But it doesn't. It doesn't at all. Will Waru just leave when the deed is done? Jet's mind begins to race. He's got to calm down…

  


But he suddenly hears a particularly loud, metallic cling sound, and his gut just knows which of Waru's armor pieces has just fallen to the ground. His heart nearly erupts in terror, and he swears it does when Waru calls him. 

  


"Hurry up, Jet, I'm freezing." 

  


The Emperor doesn't even think about it, and turns around at once. And as if he isn't already about to pass out, he nearly faints when he sees just how big Waru is, and that he has TWO. He's suddenly extremely dizzy and has tunnel vision.

  


"Jet, my eyes are up here. Let's get a move on." Waru suddenly snaps as he covers himself with the blazing tuft at the end of his Koma Inu tail, and Jet finds himself stumbling forward toward the demon as if he's possessed. He takes Waru's claws into his hands, and begins to lead him to the spring like a lover boy guides his prom date to the dance floor. And he keeps his eyes locked on Waru's beard. He'll do anything to not look down, but he can't look the Chosen Hero in the eyes. He can't… 

  


They are suddenly waist deep, and the demon is visibly nervous. His claws grasp Jet's hands in a grip like steel. His claws sink into his pale flesh. And he's sweating bullets. Jet holds back a laugh. This is the Black Warlord that has emerged victorious from countless battles, conquered the cosmos, and battled every beast, warrior, and god known in the entire Universe, but he clings to Jet here in this hot spring like a cat getting a bath. It's so pathetic the Emperor grins a little, suddenly at ease. But those claws are going to leave a mark. Jet winces.

  


"Y-yeow… down kitty." He whispers, and loosens Waru's grip on his hands. "Allow me to hold you now. You will be completely submerged." 

  


Waru only growls, clearly unnerved. "Demons hate holy water, Jet. Hurry up!" His ears and horns are lowered flat against his head. He grits his fangs. His grip begins to tighten again. Only this time, he's pressed flush against Jet's chest and is clinging to his shoulder so tightly he rips the fabric of the Emperor's pure white robe and bruises the skin beneath. 

  


The Emperor fumbles a little, but immediately and wordlessly gets on it. He places his hand in between the Chosen's shoulder blades, and he shivers when he feels the muscles tense there. He then takes a hold of Waru's hip, and gets ready to send him under the steamy water, but pauses for a second. He sweeps his onyx gaze over the Onsen and the lotus flowers once more, and smiles ever so slightly. 

  


"...Do you hear them, Waru?" 

  


The demon is quaking like he's sitting in a massage chair, and that question nearly makes him hit the roof. But he smiles sweetly, and it looks nothing short of deadly. "No… but if you don't speed up, YOUR MAJESTY, the only thing you are going to hear is the sound of shovels dumping dirt on your casket." 

  


The young Emperor only claps a hand over Waru's mouth, and watches as each lotus begins to illuminate one by one, until it's like they stand in a sea of rainbow colored stars. The small cries suddenly crescendo. Waru fights the urge to bite the Hell out of Jet's hand. Damn, this water has him so shaken up he feels like bursting into tears as well!

  


"Hush. Look." He points, and the Chosen One follows his finger. "The Fairies…" The newborn Fairies' cries, though quiet, fill the air. Waru marvels at the scene. What a thought it is for a demon to have, but maybe, just maybe, this is what Heaven looks like. Jet continues, his baritone voice melodious and light. "Can you imagine if we were born here like this? It's funny… my Fairy friends you met think being born in a palace like I was is as wondrous as this. But I disagree. I was born just like anyone else. I guess it's just our different viewpoints. Of course anywhere a god is born is bound to be a wondrous place… but really, when you really think about it, I was just born on a stone floor surrounded by stone walls. You know?" 

  


Waru thinks about this. He was born when fire and the blackness of space collided. He was born when most other things didn't even exist. He was born into a flaming, dark world full of stars and silence. And he was born as he was now, fully grown. The stars were the only witness to his birth. He suddenly wondered what it would be like, to be born from a mother, or from a flower. He wonders how different of a person he would be. He closes his eyes. He is fully relaxed here against Jet's chest, and allows his pulse to calm him further. All the books say that this is what birth is like… a blank slate floating in the liquids of the womb, the sound of a quiet heartbeat. Maybe here, he can be born again. Maybe this can be his birthplace. 

  


For a split second, he is beneath the steaming water, and he fights the urge to kick and claw due to his phobia. A second feels like a million years, and he gasps when he is lifted again, cradled in Jet's arms. 

  


...Neither god utters a single word. They don't have to. For once, the sounds that fill the silence of the day speak for themselves.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waru shows Emperor Jet a trick he can do. Fun ensues.

Jet thanked the gods that the first ritual required Waru to put on a loin cloth after his baptism. He feels so red in the face he doesn't doubt someone could cook an egg on both his cheeks. And as they trek down the mountain, the young Emperor walks alongside the demon, and does all in his power to not look at him. Maybe he is covered… but somehow that loin cloth makes Waru look even more attractive. Jet curses silently. Stupid sexy beast… he's so turned on by those rock hard muscles and that blazing, curly mane and the way it all felt in his hands that he's beside himself. It's not allowed… his ancestors… his godhood…

Jet clenches his fists wrathfully. He's got to stop this. Waru is a demon. He's not even remotely human. And he is a male. It's all wrong. It's all forbidden. He has to stop torturing himself. He has to resist the temptor. He has to resist the Incubus' vile spell. He has to for Assassin Valley's sake. For the Fairies' sake. For his sake. 

It isn't until Waru suddenly pipes up that the Emperor realizes he's bit his lip so hard it is bleeding. He quickly runs his tongue over it so that Waru won't notice, and makes a face at the bitter, metallic flavor.

"What?" The Emperor comes to a stop. 

Waru had knelt, scooping up the jelly beans that make up the gravel road in his paws. He gazes upon it with a baffled expression. "I said, your world astounds me, Jet." He lets the jelly beans fall to the ground. "The rocks… the trees… the buildings… it's all candy. And it's all cute. This place looks like Easter and My Little Pony and Candyland got together… and yet you named this world Assassin's Valley. Why?" He looks up then, and raises an eyebrow. 

Jet shrugs, giggling. "I suppose when you rule a Kingdom that looks as defenseless and innocent as this one, you have to come up with a formidable name to make people think twice." 

Waru smirks wickedly. "Hehe. Messing with people's psyche, I love it." He gets up, and continues on his way. "I used that strategy a few times myself." The Chosen One is suddenly grinning like the Cheshire Cat again. His tail is beginning to swat back and forth. "And I also used… THIS ONE!!!" 

Jet yelps in surprise, and falls flat on his royal ass. "Waru!!!" He exclaims. "What-!" 

His pulse is racing. The beast had erupted into a cloud of origami birds. They float like fallen autumn leaves in the breeze. But as quickly as it happened, Waru burst back into existence, cackling like a maniac. He is nose to nose with the Emperor. Close enough to kill. Close enough to kiss.

"Ahahahahaha!!!!" He roars playfully. "Come catch me!!!!" He once again explodes into origami, and reappears on top of a candy boulder. "Come now, Jet!!!! We have a few minutes to spare!" He then leaps off down the boulder, and disappears yet again mid-leap. 

Jet pushes himself back up to his feet, and dusts himself off. He scans the gathering of cotton candy trees. He searches the root beer stream. He glances at the sun. Time is ticking. He furrows his black eyebrows, and raises his voice slightly. 

"Chosen One, I implore you. Please stop. We don't have much ti-OOF!!!" Jet sneezes mightily. Waru had zipped on by, and swat a whole pile of fallen sakura leaves into Jet's chest. He pats it all off, feeling rather irate. 

"Oh, you're going to pay for that one, Mr. Important Hero!" He grabs a handful of jelly beans, and tosses it at the agile beast, who only laughs giddily as the candies make contact with his muscular shoulder. It isn't but a moment later that Waru leaps over Jet like a jungle cat, and purposely smacks him in the face with the extremely floofy tuft of his tail, making the young Emperor sneeze again. 

Jet rubs his nose. He suddenly realizes he is grinning. He grabs another handful of candy, and takes off after Waru. "I'll get you yet, Waru!!!" He hollers, and maniacal laughter is the only response. 

He sprints down the mountainside, keeping the tricky beast in his sight. Waru bounds overhead from tree limb to tree limb like a jaguar, loosening piles of snow as he goes so it can drop on Jet. And each time the snow comes raining down on him, Jet manages to land a hit on Waru. The young Emperor cackles gleefully. He hasn't run like this since he was a child. And he can't even recall the last time he had ever played. His soul feels light for once, and he screeches happily when Waru tackles him from behind, sending the two of them rolling downhill until they slam into a tree trunk. 

Jet giggles, blowing on an origami crane that had lazily drifted by. He then turns on his side, and begins to catch his breath. 

"Hee hee! I…" He gulps down some air. "I haven't played like that since I was a boy." 

Waru chuckles in response. "My army and I played around so much I had to remind them AND myself to quit fooling around. Now, of course, they were wrestling, so… I suppose that counts as preparing for battle. I guess." 

Jet's eyes flutter open. But his smile fades into a horrified frown. He is lying on top of the demon's chest, and his hand is lustily stroking those buff pecs on its own accord. He shoots up and away from Waru in an instant, disgusted with himself. But he regains his composure. He is saddened though… he likes the way the beast feels.

He clears his throat. "Uh… um… we… we need to get back to the pagoda, Chosen One." He says, looking away from Waru again. "You have yet to complete the second ritual." 

Waru sits up, sweeping stray locks of his fiery mane out of his eyes. "All work and no play, huh?" He stands back up and pouts, lowering his ears. "You're no fun." 

Jet frowns. He lowers his head guiltily. "I'm sorry… I just… we need to-" 

Waru shoves his shoulder playfully, and he is so strong he nearly knocks Jet down. "Hah! I was kidding! Don't take things so hard, Jet!" He begins to saunter away, and gestures for the Emperor to follow. "Now come! Just like you said, 'we don't have much time!' Haha!!!" 

Jet stays a little behind though, and watches as Waru goes down the hill. He gulps fearfully. His robe is soaked through with nervous sweat. He tilts his head back toward the Heavens, and sighs heavily. 

"Oh gods…" He prays with a shaky voice. "You are SURE this is the one?" He looks back down only to see Waru waving his arms and yelling for him to move his ass. Jet shakes his head, glancing upward one last time. "This is just funny to you, isn't it?"

He shakes his head. But he smiles, waves at Waru, and begins to head down the mountain again. And he wonders why on Earth the gods chose Waru as the Hero. 

...But they did. And there is no denying it. And even if he is a living god and a man of faith, Jet can't help but question the holy beings he once had so much faith in.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Birds flying high you know how I feel/Sun in the sky you know how I feel/Breeze drifting on by you know how I feel/It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life for me/ And I'm feeling good... 
> 
> -Nina Simone

The last time Waru had ever felt tension this thick in the air was that one time when he went to that Earthbound place on the lower level of the mall on Black Friday to purchase chakra stones and his foe, that blasted Samurai, happened to be standing right behind him in the checkout line. He shivers suddenly. He swears he still feels geode shards in his left ass cheek to this day…

But he pushes that thought from his mind. He needs to focus. He needs to stay alert. Jet did indeed tell him that the third ritual would be that he, the Chosen Hero, would don the Hero's Clothes. But the detail the young Emperor conveniently left out was that the TWELVE FAIRIES that whupped his butt earlier would be the ones dressing him. And so, kneeling wrapped up in a sacred red cloth embroidered with gold phoenixes, Waru uses every ounce of strength he has left to keep his mouth shut, and he just knows the Fairies are doing the same. 

His tail whips back and forth like an angry cat's. His ears and horns are flat against his head. His claws dig into the crimson fabric he clutches in an iron grip. And he watches the Fairies like a hawk. He hardly even blinks. Anything to keep a close eye on the little flies. He's not about to get gagged by a ramune marble again… 

Four of the Fairies, candy corn, enchilada, tutti frutti, and peppermint, flutter towards him wordlessly and begin to remove the cloth. He keeps his eyes forward. They keep their eyes on the cloth. But the unthinkable happens, and Waru nearly jumps out of his skin when she speaks. 

"...We…" The peppermint Fairy seethes between clenched teeth. She sighs heavily. "We all have decided that… we were not properly acquainted. We are sorry, Chosen One, forgive our disrespect." She begins to lower the cloth past his bicep on his left side, and the tutti frutti Fairy does the same on his right while the enchilada and candy corn Fairies lower the cloth down his muscular back. 

Waru smirks triumphantly, and cackles. "Ooo! An apology!" He exclaims sarcastically. "How mature of y-"

The Peppermint Fairy abruptly shushes Waru. "Please, let me finish." She places a hand on her chest. "I am Twinx. And this…" She gestures to the tutti frutti Fairy. "Is Tiki. And candy corn here is Ptep, enchilada is Kali, ramune is Vlurp, coffee is Gabby, ube is Yang, walnut is Deuce, calamari is Glub, wintergreen is Flurry, and cotton candy is Dyer." 

"...And we really are sorry." The tutti frutti Fairy, Tiki, apologizes. But then she looks straight into Waru's eyes, and the intensity in them startles him. "We attacked you because we saw you were a demon, and you breaking our statue just gave us a reason. It wasn't fair for us to judge you, Chosen One, because of what you are. We just hope you are being genuine as well. We really do." 

"And we think you are." Twinx says. "We saw you in the Onsen. You looked like you were on the verge of a panic attack. Real demons wouldn't dare to even walk within one hundred miles of holy water. But you did. You were terrified, but you went through with it anyway. That shows a lot. We believe it is more important to judge by actions rather than words. And right then and there, in the Great Onsen, you showed us who you really are." 

The phoenix cloth is fully lowered now, covering Waru's bare lap. It is then Twinx tells him to rise, so that they may begin dressing him. 

'And… and I think…' Dyer the cotton candy Fairy signs. 'I think Emperor Jet really likes you. I also think that he is beginning to trust you. He is a living god. He knows evil from good. Gods have a way of sensing that, I guess. So I don't think you can really be all that bad." She begins wrapping a new red cloth around his wrist, while Yang the ube Fairy wraps another around his right.

"It is still beyond me though…" Gabby the coffee Fairy shakes her head while she places exquisite, bejeweled rings on his fingers. "Only hours ago you had no qualms with trying to kill us. But then, you conquered your phobia just for our sake. Why?" 

Waru's great head lowers without him even meaning to do it. His gaze lowers to the floor while Flurry, Deuce, and Glub have him step into a jet black, flame print sarong that billows like a war banner set ablaze in the breeze. Why indeed? Perhaps, after discovering their hidden strength, he fears to make these Fairies and their Emperor his enemy. But he knows that is not the case. He tries to make himself think that it is, but it is so far from the truth he can no longer pretend. Waru knows he did this because of that new emotion he felt when he first saw Jet. He did this because of the feeling he felt when he was in the zen garden. He liked that feeling. He knew at once, when it came over him, he wanted to keep feeling it. And he knows that by taking his rightful place as the Chosen Hero of Assassin's Valley, by delivering these people from certain doom, the feeling will remain. No longer did galactic conquest and constant combat bring him joy. No longer did subjugating entire civilizations and robbing their treasure give him pleasure. It was beginning to stagnate. It was beginning to make him sick. And deep down, no matter how much he tried to ignore the voice, no matter how many times he made excuses for himself because he's an Oni and that line of work is just what his kind do, he knew it was flat out wrong. But this… this place and these people… they made him see the light. They made him see he was more than just a creature in people's nightmares. That he was more than just the fearsome Horned Koma Inu, King of the Oni. That he was more than the Scourge of the Cosmos. That he was more than a violent warlord. And they truly do make him happy. They really do. 

Waru suddenly finds himself grinning ear to ear. That's what that is. That new feeling. Happiness. He feels the Fairies tighten a red sash around his waist. His tail is adorned with jewels. He bows his head slightly so Twinx can put a bead necklace painted with colorful unalomes over his head. He looks nothing short of stunning. And this outfit is so much lighter than his armor. Waru instantly decides that he would rather wear this. It still looks like him. It still feels like him. He places the jade figurines in the hidden pocket, and allows the Fairies to apply the war paint. 

"...I arrived here in search of hitmen to vanquish an age old enemy of mine." He explains. "I came here searching for what I thought was something I truly wanted. I have been a warlord since before the dawn of time. I have been the King of the Oni for even longer. My line of work was something I thought I was meant to be, and what I always would be, and that I would be happy with it until the end of time. But I came here and confronted my true feelings. I no longer wish to be the stuff of nightmares. I no longer want people cowering at the mention of my name. You see, I thought that was what made me feel whole- the suffering of others. But I realized today that it makes me feel nothing but shame. I realized that my work had made nothing but a deep and endless hole in my soul. But here… by being born again as your Chosen Hero… that hole was filled. For once… I feel… happy. I had forgotten what that was like. But now I remember, and it feels good. That is why I changed. That is why I conquered my fear. Because for the first time in a long time, I felt joy. I wanted to be a better person. I wanted to change my vile ways. And I apologize for my actions. I apologize for crushing your wings. I was aggressive. I have already forgiven you. I hope you can forgive me." 

He feels the Fairies finish applying his war paint. He takes note that the image of a phoenix occurs again and again in the intricate designs. He smiles gently. He looks every bit as ferocious as he once was, but it feels different. He watches as all twelve of the Fairies float back so that they can look at the work they have done. They too smile, and they are genuine. 

"You may be an Oni, a Horned Koma Inu… but as far as we are concerned, you are a phoenix reborn from the ashes." Twinx takes one of his clawed fingers into both her hands. "You are a strange vessel for the soul of the Hero to dwell in. But we see now that you are indeed the right choice. All is forgiven, Chosen One. We pray that you will be victorious." 

All twelve Fairies put their hands together and bow. A deep sense of powerful but quiet pride swells in Waru's chest. It is unlike any pride he has felt before, that pride that made him boast and gloat over his triumphs. This pride is different. This pride he feels now makes him want to never lose the trust of these people, and fight for them no matter what. For once, he's found others that are truly worth fighting for. He too places his dark hands together and bows, grinning ear to ear. 

...Never before in his eons of living had he ever bowed to anyone. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oooo Lordy someone just came out of the closet!!!!!!

The demon had cast his spell again. Emperor Jet is sure of it. He came strutting his stuff into the dining room looking larger than things twice his size, and looking so fine he swears the Kabuki masks hanging on the wall are staring. His muscles ripple with every movement, and Jet wants to feel the raw power. He so desperately wishes to sink his fingers into that curly wildfire mane. And he can hardly control himself when he sees how all those gems glitter like lake water in the torchlight. 

This one is fire incarnate, Jet thinks. And fire is only to be looked at, and never touched. He suddenly feels VERY lucky he is wearing a thick robe. He stays kneeling on the floor in front of the table, and gestures for the Chosen to sit across from him.

"Um..." Jet hopes to high Heaven he isn't turning red. "You wear the Hero's Clothes well, Waru…"

The warrior puts his hands flat under his bearded chin, smirks, and bats his eyelashes. "Oh Jet, you're SO sweet!!!" He teases mock-effeminately.

The young Emperor feels the heat slowly rising in his cheeks. "Eh… come, make yourself comfortable. Let us begin the third ritual." 

'Before I mess up my fundoshi…' Jet thinks to himself, sweating bullets. 

Waru kneels across from Jet, and then sweeps his feral eyes over the room once. His smirk becomes a confused frown. He raises a flaming red eyebrow. "...The third ritual is a candlelit dinner…?" 

Jet's heart skips a beat. "No, the third ritual is most certainly NOT a candlelit dinner, friend…" He sighs, but then looks around and realizes his dining room DOES look rather romantic. The Emperor rubs his neck. Damn his subconscious interfering with his work! "For this ritual, you must dine on the twelve sacred foods to increase your power. I am simply overseeing-"

"And dining with me." Waru butts in, gesturing to Jet's chopsticks with his eyes. 

Jet nods. His dark brows furrow slightly. He is beginning to feel defensive. "Of course. It would be awkward for me to just sit here and watch you." 

"...Mmmhmmm." Waru nods, and rolls his eyes. "Right. Well, date or no, let's dig in. All I had to eat today was pretzel salt and a handful of Konpeito." 

Jet snarls and scowls. "This is NOT a date." He jabs his forefinger at Waru to make a point. "I am forbidden from such things. And even if I weren't, I still would not date you. You are a beast. I am a man. You are a demon. I am a god. You are a male. I am a male. It simply isn't done." 

Waru deadpans. "Tell that one to my army. We are ALL dudes. Not to mention some of the straight ones capture human concubines. Talk about a Beauty and the Beast story that'll never air on Disney channel." 

Jet falls silent for a second. "...You will not seduce me, Incubus." He warns.

Waru grins slyly. "I never aimed to. Now. What's on the menu? The clock is ticking."

Jet glances at the clock. He sees the position of the shadows on his wall. Waru is right. They need to get a move on. He pushes the tray of sacred foods towards Waru, and takes a deep breath. 

"For many years, Emperor Saburo lived on this planet he created so lovingly alone. It was on the forty second year exactly, on New Years Eve, he invited the Fairies living on a neighboring moon to live in his Kingdom. The first twelve to arrive would be allowed to serve in his Royal Guard… and earn their place on his Zodiac. The order the food lays in on your plate, Chosen One, is the order in which each Fairy arrived." 

Waru scans the food from left to right. January, all the way to December. January is wintergreen. February is cotton candy. March is ramune. April is coffee. May is ube. June is popcorn. July is calamari. August is walnut. September is tutti frutti. October is candy corn. November is enchilada. And December is…

Peppermint. 

Waru's mouth falls agape. He knows these foods go according to the Greek Zodiac. So even if he was born on November twenty ninth… that still makes him peppermint. The Fairy that hated him most. The leader. The candy that burns at first, but becomes sweet overtime. Waru chuckles. How fitting… 

"My sign is peppermint." Waru whispers softly. 

Jet grins. "Heh. So is mine." He sweeps his dark eyes over the food, and picks up his chopsticks. "Now let us dine so that you may gain your power. And please, eat the foods in order. The ritual must be done correctly."

It is the second he says it that Waru digs in. And so, Jet decides to begin as well, and realizes just how famished he is, too. He suddenly wonders what Waru normally eats on his home planet. But then Jet looks at those razor sharp, curved, Oriental fangs. Maybe it is best that information remains a mystery… 

But he is curious. Jet just knows to avoid certain questions. 

"Waru?"

"Hm?"

The young Emperor chews what remains of the wintergreen candy. "What is your homeland like?" 

The beast looks up from his meal, and sweeps a lock of ginger hair behind his ear. "Nippon, you may know it as Japan, is not so different from here, surprisingly." He begins to reminisce. "It just happens to not be entirely made of candy. Trees are trees. Grass is grass. It is a living plant, not a confectionary treat. And our structures are made of wood, bamboo, paper, and stone. But the way we design our homes and whatnot is exactly the same as here. Your zen garden, your pagoda, your gates and statues… they are the same. Just not edible." 

Jet nods excitedly. "Haha! So it IS true! Legends say Saburo came from Japan. There were many theories about why our world looked so similar to yours… now we know it is a fact!" 

Waru shrugs. "I just wonder why I never heard of Saburo. Perhaps he was born long after I…" Waru winces. "After I… expanded my empire across the galaxy." His ears lower shamefully as he eats the calamari. 

Jet frowns sympathetically. "It has been a long while since you have gone home, hasn't it Waru?"

The Chosen One nods sullenly. "Yes. And I am not sure if I can ever return. What will my men think of what I have done? And besides. The place holds too many bad memories. I cannot return to a place that is no longer home. I can't go back to a place that only knows me for what I was." 

That hits home, and Emperor Jet falls silent for a minute. Waru gave up his status as King of the Oni just for Assassin Valley's sake. He gave up his own home. He sacrificed everything he was to give this world hope. It is the demon's equivalent of shedding his divinity. Jet wonders… if he… if he tells Waru how he feels… 

Ugh. Jet rubs the back of his neck. What will happen if he confesses his love and sheds his godliness? Is he willing to give that up? What will become of Assassin's Valley if he taints his purity? He drums his fingers on the table. His palms are sweaty. He lowers his head. He doesn't know. He just doesn't. But he knows what to do about something else, and it gives him some relief. 

"Assassin's Valley can be your home now, Waru." He places his hand on top of Waru's, and realizes just how MASSIVE those paws are. His pale white hand looks as small as a child's, and he feels a tingle go down his spine at the contact. "You are more than welcome to stay. You can even be the thirteenth Guard. My guard." 

Waru blinks in astonishment. He pauses in the middle of chewing his walnut. "Y...you really mean that?" 

Jet nods. "You are our friend, Waru. Not just our Hero. You see, anyone can save the world. But to be someone's friend… now that is something truly honorable." The Emperor fights the urge to lean forward and meet those bright red lips. He slides his hands off of the Chosen's, and continues his meal. 

Waru goes back to eating as well. But he buzzes with a strange noise. The beast blushes slightly. He doesn't remember the last time he purred. He chuckles. 

"...Thank you… my friend." Waru feels something stir in his chest again. Never before in his life had he ever called anyone that. "Thank you…" 

It is then, soon after, the two finish the sacred meal. It is quiet for a few seconds. But then, no longer able to stand it, Jet speaks again.

"The power is flowing in your veins now, Chosen One." He fights the urge to gawk at those rock solid muscles. "I uh… I… hope you liked it." Jet curses himself. He's not sure how long he's going to be able to keep his feelings to himself. "I… I… uh…" He clasps his sweaty hands behind his back. 

"Mmmhmm?" Waru smirks impishly, baring those horrific, curved fangs. 

Jet thinks for a moment. He knows what he wants to say. And he wants to tell Waru so badly. But he can't. He can't just think of himself and his feelings. What of the wellbeing of Assassin's Valley? What of the Fairies? If he sheds his divinity, there will not be a god to rule this planet!!! The young Emperor sighs heavily. He has to come up with something else to say, he supposes.

He shakes his head. "Nothing, friend. Nothing…" He rubs the back of his neck. "I just… I want to apologize. You aren't a demon. Or an Incubus." He lowers his head. "I am. I felt those feelings all on my own. You didn't make me feel them. I…" His hands clench into frustrated fists. "It is just that I cannot think only of myself and my feelings. I must keep my godhood for the sake of this planet and its people. They need a god. And I cannot dishonor my ancestors. They would disown me if I…" His fingernails dig into his palms. "If I… I wish I could tell you-" 

He suddenly feels Waru's ebony claws on his lips. The beast is grinning ear to ear. His Blood Moon eyes are twinkling with sincerity and mirth. 

"Jet." His voice is a low, husky, growling whisper. "You don't have to tell me anything. I know." He cups Jet's cheek in his gargantuan hand. "You wear your heart on your sleeve. I know." 

Jet smiles as a tear trickles down his cheek, and he places his hand on Waru's. He leans into the giant paw, and chuckles softly. He doesn't know what to say. But just like the Fairies told him, sometimes it is best to just not speak. Sometimes, actions speak louder than words. And right now, in this pagoda, with Waru sitting across from him… this is one of those moments. And even if he is a god, even if he is holy, Jet has never felt more divine in all his life than he does now.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Night is falling. Waru begins second-guessing his actions.

The setting Sun turns the darkening sky into a dazzling painting of a thousand colors. Blue fades into green and green fades into yellow. Yellow fades into orange and orange fades into red. Red fades into pink, and pink becomes purple, until it is nothing more than a pitch black sky lit up by the first stars. It looks like the wildflower fields that grow here in this candy land, Waru thinks. It looks like when someone melts several candies and the colors mix together like edible tye-dye. It reminds him that never before in his eons of living, up until a few hours ago, he had never once stopped to admire beauty such as this. Before then, beauty to him was little more than a silvery, blood-splattered blade. Well… that and himself, or course. But now, he is born anew, he is home, and he sees the Universe in a way he has never seen it before. The Universe then was a place to be owned and dominated. The Universe now… it is simply a place to be explored and admired, and to be left completely untouched. 

But Waru chuckles under his breath at himself. He had already passed the point of no return. And just now, kneeling here before Jet, awaiting to be knighted, everything he has done up to now suddenly and truly dawns on him. 

Maybe he already said it out loud. Maybe he thought it a thousand times. And maybe he told Jet. But the fact hits him like a freight train now, and it makes him break out in a cold sweat. 

...He really can't go back. 

What would his army think? The Horned Koma Inu, the King of the Oni, the Black Warlord, The Dark Shogun, the Scourge of the Cosmos, a baptised Chosen Hero? A savior? A demon that had changed his unholy ways and quite frankly abandoned his own people? He is one of them. He truly cannot change eons of conquest and bloodlust in only a few hours. Within himself he can, but first steps only go so far. The whole Universe still only knows him for what he was. It will take a million more eons to show the world he has truly changed. He is caught between his past and his future, and he now no longer belongs anywhere but here in Assassin's Valley. 

...It is now, here, at the point of no return, the almighty Dark Shogun is afraid. He can never go back. He can never see his men again. He is no longer a demonic entity. But Waru shakes his head. He rushed in headlong and got himself into this mess because it is what his soul desired. All this is is last minute jitters. That is all. It has to be…

The Blood Moon had risen high into the night. The cutesy little world had begun to fade into a foreboding shade of crimson. Even the stars hide away behind bleeding clouds, as if they too were afraid. Suddenly… Assassin's Valley's name truly does fit its face. This little candy world isn't so cute anymore. Waru shivers. The vibe in the air had shifted drastically, and for the worse. By night one way, by day another. Waru had heard that somewhere before, but he cannot remember where. All he knows is he suddenly feels inspired to be this world's savior again. Suddenly, he remembers now what Jet told him. It matters not what he had done. It only matters now what he will do. The fate of Assassin's Valley, his home, rests in his hands. So what what the rest of the Universe thinks of him. Right now, he is a Hero. Right now, he is all this world's got. And he plans to save this world. And right now, that is all that matters. 

Waru looks up. He kneels on holy ground, but he sees now that lanterns have been lit to fight off the impending darkness. He alone is surrounded by twelve, and each is the color of the twelve Fairies. Even the jade figurines he had set before him are glowing like mini beacons in the twilight. And it is not long before he sees Jet approaching over the horizon, katana in hand, followed by the Fairies. 

Dressed in that white robe, it is like Jet is the only thing in this whole world that looks pure and good and right. He is his own heavenly light, and the shadows flee at the mere sight of him. All of the sudden, the young Emperor looks every bit the god he is. And it is not long before he halts before the kneeling Hero, and each Fairy takes her place under her respective lantern. The black haired Emperor takes a deep breath. He unsheathes the sword. 

"Great Waru, our Chosen One…" He begins, and Waru can't help but notice how his voice shakes. "Night approaches. It is time." 

Waru looks up. His feral, fiery eyes reflect in the silvery blade. 

"As the Blood Moon rises high and casts its curse on our world, I knight you. I am sure you know well that the sword is the soul of the Samurai. Therefore, this last ritual is symbolic of a true blessing. I mean it from the very depths of my soul- not only are you our Hero… you are our friend." Jet smiles. His black eyes twinkle. "May you be victorious." 

It is then, slowly, the Emperor taps the flat of his blade on both of Waru's shoulders, and then the very top of his head. He then bows his head, and the Fairies follow suit. 

"Now arise, Chosen One. Fulfill the prophecy and bring an end to this curse. We shall await your return." 

Waru instantly gets to his feet. He takes a deep breath. And then, gently, he lifts Jet's chin so that he can meet his eyes, and chuckles softly. 

"Heh. My friends..." He sweeps his eyes over the twelve Fairies as well. "You bow to no one." He then looks back at Jet, whose eyes had become tearful. The Chosen One frowns. "...What?" 

Jet shakes his head, and takes Waru's paw into his hand. He takes a shaky breath. "...Please, Waru. Forgive me…" 

The Hero only raises his brow. "Jet… you have nothing to be sorry for." 

The young Emperor sniffles. "Yes… yes I do." A tear cascades down his cheek. "Forgive my selfishness. You gave up everything for us. Your home. Your people. Your status. And just because I don't want to displease my ancestors and give up my godly status, I thought of you as a demon and blamed you for my emotions. Well… no more. I realise that being a god means nothing if it means living without you. Forgive me Waru. I just needed to let you know just in case… just in case you…" The god falters. He clenches his fists. "...Just don't die, okay?" 

Waru crosses his arms, and grins ear to ear. He picks up the jade figurines and puts them in his pocket. He takes up his own blade. And then, graceful as a feline, he closes the gap between himself and Jet, laughing softly. 

"Such a grim mindset! But...I love you too, you little worry-wart." 

There is a moment's silence. A fond embrace. A bittersweet kiss. And then, a wordless goodbye. The Emperor watches as the Chosen Hero walks away, and is enveloped by the shadows of the accursed night. 

...He feels his divinity leave him. But as that fades away, he feels that sense of unending loneliness leave him as well. 


End file.
